Child s cradle



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. K. SELDEN, OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT.

CHILDS CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,835, dated April 10, 1860.

To all whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I, L. K. SELDEN, of Haddam, in the county of Middlesexand State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inChildrens Cradles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,in which- Figure l represents an end view of my improved cradle, showingthe manner of securing the rockers to the same. Fig. 2 is a plan View ofFig. l, showing the general construction of the cradle and the mode ofputting the parts, forming the same, together. Fig. 3 is a View of thebody of the cradle shown in a folded up state.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the threefigures.

This invention consists in constructing a cradle in a novel mannerwhereby it may be folded up and packed away into a very compact spaceand in a few minutes unfolded and set up ready for use, as will behereinafter described and represented. The parts may be made entirely ofmetal so as to possess strength combined with lightness, and the cradlebody is to be supported on spring rockers which are detachable, andcapable of folding up with the body, as will be hereinafter shown` Toenable those skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

The folding cradle is constructed by bending two straight strips ofmetal a, a, of a suitable length and width, up at obtuse angles, asshown by Fig. l, and jointing the two together by transverse bars b, b,which, with the intermediate longitudinal bars b', Z2', form the bottomof the cradle. The bars are pivoted or ointed at each connection, sothat the two parallel angle strips a, a, may be folded up closelytogether.

The sides of the cradle are composed of strips c, c, which are jointedto the angle stri s a, a, proceed up, inclining outward slightly to givesymmetry to the cradle, and are ointed to side bars cl, d; and belowthese bars are jointed parallel strips e, e, which serve to givestiffness to the sides of the cradle.

The bars all preserve their parallelism, and are jointed at their endsin a suitable manner to admit of the longitudinals being brought closelytogether as represented by Fig. 3, of the drawings.

The two sides of the cradle body just described are connected togetherat the head and front ends by diagonal chains g, g, which are attachedto eyes fixed at the four corners of the jointed framework, they arealso connected together at their points of intersection as shown clearlyin Fig. l. The chains allow the parts to be folded up without detachingthem from the frame.

A represents a folding head board, which may be used, if foundnecessary, a similar one may be used for the opposite end or foot of thecradle.

B are the two rockers which are very peculiar in their construction andapplication to the jointed open cradle frame they consist each of a thinstrip of metal curved as represented by Fig. l, and having riveted toeach end one end of a straight and circular strip B, the end of thecurved portion of which rests loosely on the inside of the rocker, sothat elasticity is obtained from the rocker and the straight and curvedportion of said strips combined, I here obtain strength and lightness.Cn top of the straight portion of each strip B, is riveted a plate 71.,which is bent over and the end turned up, as shown by Fig. 1, so as toclasp the angular portion a., a, of the frame and so that the ends maybe secured by metal slides j, to the jointed end uprights of thev cradlebody. These attachments clamp the rockers to the cradle frame, preventthem from spreading when a weight is put in the cradle, and, at the sametime, they admit of being detached from the frame at any moment.

The entire cradle thus constructed may be put together in a strong,substantial manner, and may be ornamented to suit the fancy, and willserve all the purposes for which a cradle is intended, at the same 2.The rockers B, B, composed of pieces 10 B', arranged and applied so asto serve the two-fold purposes of a brace and Spring, as set forth.

L. K. SELDEN.

Witnesses:

W. F. PARMELEE, CHAS. SELDEN.

